State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series Key for Olympic Aspirations

The State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, which begins in Auckland this weekend, will play a key part in the selection and preparation of swimmers for next year’s London Olympics.

For New Zealand swimmers it will provide firstly a key preparation towards selection for London.

New Zealand open water swimmers will use the State Harbour Crossing on Sunday 13 November and the State Paihia Classic as important lead-up swims before the State New Zealand Open Water Championships at Lake Taupo on 14 January.

“This series is important for our open water swimmers on several levels,” said Philip Rush, Swimming New Zealand open water manager.

“For our swimmers aspiring to qualify for the London Olympics, it’s an opportunity to get some hard racing and practice the race skills they need in open water.

“For our younger swimmers it’s invaluable as a development pathway for them.”

No New Zealand swimmers have so far qualified for the Olympics in the first qualifying event, this year’s FINA World Championships in Shanghai. The final qualifying event is in Portugal in June.

The top two male and top two female swimmers from the 10km State New Zealand Open Water Championships will advance to the Portugal qualifier, as long as they finish in the top five overall at Taupo.

Swimmers will use the rest of the State Ocean Series to prepare for the final Olympic qualifier where the top New Zealand male and female will earn nomination for London if they can finish in the first nine finishers.

Rotorua’s Kane Radford is a key kiwi hope hoping to use the series in his Olympic campaign.

“Any time you can get more swimming in open water competition is good,” said Radford, who is part of Swimming New Zealand’s High Performance Centre.

“While the series is shorter than our Olympic distance, any time you can race in open water is good for your experience and good practice in navigation and in coping with the physical nature of open water racing.

“Last year I went miles off course in the Harbour Crossing so hope to get that right on Sunday.”

Radford has shown good form this year with a narrow victory in the prestigious Tiburon Mile in San Francisco.

Key competition comes from Australia in the form of three-time national champion Trent Grimsey, the 2009 world silver medallist, and teenager Jared Poort, the Australian junior champion. New Zealanders in the field include leading junior Stefan Talbot, Andrew Pullon, world championship pool reps Kurt Bassett, Matt Stanley and Daniel Bell as well as champion triathlete Graham O’Grady.

New Zealand women’s open water champion Cara Baker will head from her base in Queensland to begin the defence of her series title.

Baker, 21, has her focus firmly fixed on the Olympic qualifier after she fell ill during the world championships in Shanghai.

“The medical team seem to have sorted out the problem now and it should not occur again, I hope,” said Baker. “This series is really important for me. It is great build-up for the Olympic qualifying event and also it’s a chance to test yourself in race mode.

“I really enjoy the series. It’s good racing, good competition and some pretty handy prizemoney as well.”

Her main competition could come from national champion and freestyle record holder Lauren Boyle and the well-performed long distance and open water exponent, Charlotte Webby.

There are approximately 1300 starters on the 2.9km State Harbour Crossing which begins at 9am on Sunday from Bayswater, and finishes in the Viaduct.